


One Kiss and I'll Descend

by Magnusismyrock



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M, Shakespeare, They do a play, and then Alec is kissing Magnus, prompted, romeo and juliet - Freeform, sure lets go with that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 16:03:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11211447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magnusismyrock/pseuds/Magnusismyrock
Summary: Alec is stage crew for his university's production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  Naturally he knows every line and all of the blocking.When Maia, who is playing Juliet, falls ill the day before opening night, and the understudy sucks, what is Alec to do?Not to mention, Alec's crush Magnus Bane is playing Romeo.Prompted on tumblr by user hoteldumorts





	One Kiss and I'll Descend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hoteldumortz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoteldumortz/gifts).



> [Original Prompt ](http://hoteldumorts.tumblr.com/post/153545830002/okay-but-imagine-a-malec-college-au-where-magnus) \- some creative liberties were taken.
> 
> Sorry if I butchered any of the characters, I'm not much of a writer usually.  
> For anyone unfamiliar with theatre, blocking is like, where the actors should be, what they should be doing with their bodies. so a block could be, walk from point A to point B and then sit down on the floor, or in the case of this fic, put your hands on point A, etc.
> 
> Thank you to the lovely beta, tumblr user constantfluxx

“Then, window, let day in and let life out.” Maia spoke, her arms around Magnus’s neck.  
“Farewell, farewell. One kiss, and I’ll descend.” Magnus leaned in and kissed her tenderly, before ripping himself from her arms and moving further downstage.  
“Art thou gone so, love, lord? Ay, husband, friend, I must hear from thee every day in the hour, for in a minute there are many days. Oh, by this count I shall be much in years ere I again behold my…” Maia fell into a coughing fit, unable to finish the sentence. Moments after she recovered from the fit, she said “Sorry, sorry. Just choked on my spit a little. I’ll be fine...” She started coughing again.  
“Why don’t we take five?” Luke announced to everyone over her coughing. “Hey, you gonna be okay?” he asked, softly.  
She nodded her head but still couldn’t seem to shake off the fit.  
Alec grabbed a bottle of water and rushed over to give it to her. “The scene sounded good at least,” he added, hoping to look on the bright side. Though, he had a bit of an issue seeing the bright side himself, not when every day he had to watch Magnus kissing her over and over while they practiced their lines. It had been weeks of practice, and Alec had given up hope that Magnus would even notice him.  
“Okay, I think I’m good now,” Maia said, looking a bit better than earlier.  
“You sure?” Luke asked, inspecting her for any signs of coughing.  
“Yeah, the water really helped. Thanks Alec.” Maia smiled at him, holding up the water.  
Alec took the water bottle and headed backstage again.  
“Alright, let’s run Act 2 Scene 5,” Luke announced to everyone. “Get to your places!”  
“The clock struck nine,” Maia started into her line, “when I did send the Nurse. In half and hour she promised to return…”  
Alec tuned out the rest of her lines for the act.

\--  
The next day they all gathered in the auditorium again for their final practice. “Alright everyone, tomorrow is opening night. Let’s get this polished and ready for an audience!” Luke spoke, excited to see everyone ready to get started.  
“Today, I think we should start with Act 2, Scene 6 - the conversation leading to the marriage. Last time we did it, the lines could have been a bit cleaner, so we really need to get it down before tomorrow night. Let’s get started so we have as much time as possible.” 

They ran the scene twice, each time getting better. “Alright, let’s do it one last time before we move on to Act 4.” Luke knew that the scene was good, but he wanted to make sure it stayed that way for opening night.

Raj stepped back into his starting place and began the scene. “So smile the heavens upon this holy act that after-hours with sorrow chide us not.”  
Magnus, looking as great as ever if not more, started his lines. Alec, enraptured backstage, almost didn’t hear the lines being spoken.  
When Maia entered and quickly embraced Magnus, Alec rolled his eyes while Raj continued his lines.

\--  
The scene was almost over and Maia was giving the last lines she had while Alec mouthed along with her, knowing the lines by heart.  
“They are but beggars that can count their worth. But my true love is grown to such…” Maia trailed off, and just as Magnus was about to ask what was wrong, she fainted.  
“Woah there!” Magnus caught her before she hit the ground.  
Luke rushed on stage and started giving instructions to people.  
“Clary, call an ambulance. Simon, go grab the first aid kit. Alec, get a paper towel from the bathroom and wet it with cold water for me.”  
Alec rushed to do as told.

By the time he got back, Maia had been placed on the ground and was being attended to by a few different professors. Alec handed the wet paper towel to Luke, who placed it on her forehead, trying to lower the fever she was running.  
Pretty soon, the EMTs got there and carted Maia off to the hospital.  
“With Maia sick, we need to use the rest of practice to let her understudy get a little more acquainted with the role. If Magnus and the stage crew could stay, everyone else can head out if they would like. I’m sure a lot of you want to go wait on Maia,” Luke said.  
Clary and Simon rushed out to follow the ambulance. 

\--  
Maia’s understudy was some girl, Alec couldn’t really remember her name. She had very obviously auditioned because she wanted to get with Magnus, if the way she stood too close for the blocking, or leaned in to kiss Magnus well before she was supposed to, was any indicator. What was worse, she didn’t really even know the lines. The way she spoke sounded more like a SparkNotes version of the play.  
“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Forget your father and refuse thy name. Or swear to me you will love me, and I’ll change my name,” she spoke, a little too loudly. Alec was rolling his eyes left and right at this girl.  
“So Romeo would... Uh… Romeo would... He would not be called Romeo. Be some other name!” she stumbled over her lines.  
Even Magnus was rolling his eyes at her - at least Alec wasn’t alone.

After a few more stumbles, she ended up going off stage shouting, “This is so not worth it!”

“Well, uh. What now?” Magnus looked a little unsure, having lost two Juliets in under three hours.  
“Uh, maybe I can get her to come back?” One of the stage hands said, and followed after her.

Alec just looked at Magnus, then at Luke, who was trying to think of something to do to fix the situation, and back at Magnus. He could see that Magnus wasn’t particularly comfortable standing on the stage with everyone else feeling so awkward too.  
Next thing Alec knew, he was stepping forward towards the stage. He meant to grab some water for Magnus or something, but he forgot all of that as he walked on stage. Each step he got closer to Magnus, his heart rate jumped up a bit. Just as he neared Magnus, he started into the lines. “Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day. It was the nightingale, and not the lark, that pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear. Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate tree. Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.” The words came out exactly correct, but Alec didn’t hear them over the sound of blood rushing in his ears as his face continually heated up.  
After a pause, Magnus continued, “It was the lark, the herald of the morn, no nightingale. Look, love, what envious streaks do lace the severing clouds in yonder east. Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountaintops. I must be gone and live, or stay and die.”  
Alec’s heart did a weird swooping thing when Magnus called him love, and he thought he might faint from it, but the moment passed and by the time he came back to himself Magnus had finished his lines and was waiting for him. “Yon light is not daylight, I know it, I.” Alec followed the blocking and stepped closer to Magnus, touching his face with one hand. “It is some meteor that the sun exhales to be to thee this night a torchbearer, and light thee on thy way to Mantua. Therefore stay yet. Thou need’st not to be gone.”  
Magnus grabbed Alec’s hand, pulling him closer. Chest to chest, Alec was having trouble remembering to breathe. “Let me be ta’en. Let me be put to death. I am content, so thou wilt have it so. I’ll say yon grey is not the morning’s eye. ‘Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow. Nor that is not the lark, whose notes do beat the vaulty heaven so high above our heads. I have more care to stay than will to go. Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so. How is’t, my soul? Let’s talk. It is not day.”  
Alec pressed his forehead against Magnus’s, breathing in his scent, trying with all his might to keep himself from closing the gap and kissing him. “It is, it is. Hie hence! Be gone, away! It is the lark that sings so out of tune, straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps. Some say the lark makes sweet division.” Alec stepped away from Magnus’s embrace, though Magnus kept his hand on Alec’s arm. Alec looked down at where his hand settled, and tried not to hyperventilate. Magnus was breaking the blocking, but Alec couldn’t will himself to care. “This doth not so, for she divideth us. Some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes. Oh, now I would they had changed voices too, since arm from arm that voice doth us affray, hunting thee hence with hunt’s up to the day. O, now be gone. More light and light it grows.”  
Magnus stepped forward, crowding into Alec’s space, again breaking blocking. He pressed a hand to Alec’s chest, right over his heart as he delivered his line. “More light and light, more dark and dark our woes!” Magnus leaned in, almost as if to kiss Alec, when one of the stage hands ran on stage as the nurse.  
“Madam.”  
It took a lot of willpower on Alec’s part, but he broke away from Magnus and turned to the stage hand. “Nurse?”  
“Your lady mother is coming to your chamber. The day is broke. Be wary, look about,” they read from the script in their hands, before leaving the stage again.  
“Then, window, let day in and let life out.” Alec turned back to Magnus, who pulled him close again.  
Alec was pretty sure he was going to hyperventilate until he passed out. They were nose to nose, and he knew a kiss was coming up after Magnus’s line. Alec thought he might actually die.  
“Farewell, farewell. One kiss, and I’ll descend.” Magnus leaned forward, and Alec instinctively closed his eyes. He could feel Magnus’ breath against his lips and it was like the world is in slow motion.  
But then, Magnus pulled away. Alec opened his eyes and Magnus spoke. “Hey, you’re really good. Much better than that last Juliet. Hell, I’d say on par with Maia. Sorry, I got carried away at the end there, didn’t mean to scare you and make you think I was going to kiss you. I mean, you’re very pretty, and I would love to kiss you, but that’s besides the point.”  
Alec was having trouble breathing again. He had to be hallucinating. He was still only a few inches away from Magnus’s face, still pressed chest to chest, thigh to thigh.  
“Sorry if that’s too forward, uh, meant to say, you are really pretty and you could have anyone you wanted at this school. Even... M—” Magnus shut his own mouth before he could continue. Even? Even who? What was Magnus trying to say?  
Alec looked Magnus in the eye. Gone was the usual cocky smile, or the headstrong glint to his eyes. He looked so beautiful standing there with just a hint of glitter and makeup on, pressed so close to Alec. Magnus moved slightly, as if to extricate himself, but stopping as soon as he started. Magnus looked nervous, and shy looking up at Alec. His pupils blown wide, and his heart beating a mile a minute against Alec’s chest. Alec did the only thing he could think to do, and leaned in. Just the inch or two that had separated them, and pressed his lips into Magnus’.  
The kiss was absolutely perfect. It started soft, barely there, but just as Alec went to pull away, Magnus’ lips chased his, crashing into them with so much passion. Alec was blushing, he knew, but he couldn’t seem to care now that he had Magnus on him. After a little bit, they heard a cough.  
“Boys, that scene was done perfectly, but the kiss may need to be toned down a bit,” Luke said, trying not to really look at the two. “Alec, if you are willing, you will be Juliet tomorrow for opening night, and what is looking like the run of the show. Clary called and Maia has pneumonia and will be unlikely to return.”  
As Alec pulled himself out of Magnus’ arms, Magnus seemed almost reluctant. “I’d be willing.” Alec couldn’t really believe what he had just said, but if it meant getting to kiss Magnus every night for two weeks, he’d do just about anything.  
“That’s settled then. Seeing as you obviously know your part, and the blocking, and are very obviously comfortable with Magnus, we can call it a day. Everyone make sure you’re here an hour before the show starts tomorrow so we can warm up and get ready!”

\--

Alec turned back towards Magnus a few minutes later. Magnus was just smiling at Alec, one hand touching his lips. “I have to say, you did surprise me Alexander.” Alec blushed at the name. 

“Did… uh… did you maybe want to go out sometime? Maybe even tonight?” Alec tried his best not to sound too eager.

“I would love to go out with you, but probably best not to the night before opening night. How about the day after the close of the show?” What Magnus was saying made sense. Alec wasn’t happy about it, but at the same time he was elated because Magnus Bane wanted to go out with him. Alec wanted to jump and shout about it, but he knew he couldn’t.  
“Uh, sure. That sounds great.” Alec blushed and looked away.  
“Before we go though…” Magnus reached out and pulled Alec closer. “We should probably try out that last part of the scene one more time.” He leaned in and kissed Alec again. Surprised, Alec gasped into the kiss.  
All too soon Magnus was pulling away. “Really though, we should get some sleep before the big day.”  
Just as Magnus turned away, Alec impulsively reached out and grabbed Magnus’ hand, yanking him back around and into his arms. “One kiss, and I’ll descend,” he said, before leaning in and kissing Magnus again.


End file.
